


Shakedown

by Jessyn



Series: Talira Legacy: Moments Between Missions [1]
Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-29
Updated: 2018-07-29
Packaged: 2019-06-17 22:39:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15471690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jessyn/pseuds/Jessyn
Summary: Aric Jorgan bears witness to a painful moment in his CO's life.





	Shakedown

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first installment of a collection of moments between, more or less in story order of how the game plays out for each class.

“I trust no more needs to be said about your crisis of conscience while dealing with the Migrant Merchant's Guild, Lieutenant Caron.” General Garza's voice was icy, and in all honestly, Sadie couldn't blame her. She'd defied a direct order, regardless of how grossly out of line that order was, and she was fortunate to only be receiving a dressing down in front of Jorgan.

“No, sir,” she replied, voice neutral. She and Jorgan both were exhausted, but Sadie would burn in Coruscant's sun before she let on about it to Garza.

“Good. Sergeant Jorgan, you're dismissed. Lieutenant, we need to have a word before you leave. I expect you both back here at 0700 tomorrow morning for your next mission briefing.” Jorgan's armor clicked as he saluted, and Sadie remained at attention while his footsteps faded. Chances were, he'd wait for her in the hallway, but she didn't count on it.

“At ease, Lieutenant.” Garza gestured to the chair opposite her desk. The older woman seemed to deflate a little as she moved to sit, and when she spoke next her voice had softened. Sadie still hadn't sat down. “Sadako, you're going to want to sit down for this.”

Abort mission, ABORT MISSION. Never, EVER a good sign when your CO told you to sit, and then called you by name. “Sir?” she asked, carefully taking a seat. “What's this about?”

“I received a call from Coruscant Memorial while you were en route,” the General said, and she had the air of someone who really didn't want to be having this conversation, but was all too familiar with it's ilk.

“Mom,” Sadie murmured, the office suddenly seeming to take on the vacuum of space.

Garza nodded. “Apparently, her condition has worsened. I'd encourage you to stop by the hospital on your way back to base. I'm very sorry, Sadako. I wish there were an option to give you more time to handle this, but the situation surrounding Tavus is time sensitive.”

“I … um,” Sadie forced herself back into the moment, pulling a hand away from her face that she didn't remember putting there. “I understand, General. Thank you.”

“Dismissed, Lieutenant.”

~*~

The woman coming out of Garza's office looked like his CO, but she sure as hell didn't move like her. This iteration of Caron had the bearing of someone who had just taken a gut punch and was determined to walk it off like nothing was wrong. Aric raised an eyebrow as she walked right past him, then stopped dead at the end of the hall. Both hands went to her face, pressed tight over her nose, and he watched her shoulders rise as she sucked in what he took to be a fortifying breath. What had Garza said? Everything he'd seen of Caron over the last three and a half weeks had led him to believe she wasn't prone to emotional responses.

“Sir?” he tried tentatively as he approached. “Everything alright?”

“Yeah.” She was lying, he could tell by the way she forced herself to straighten up. “Yeah, everything's fi... ah, hell.” Aric's brows furrowed as she turned and leaned back against the wall, face tipped to the ceiling like she was trying not to cry. “No, everything is not alright.”

Under the acrid smell of seared armor and sweat, he was starting to pick up on salt. She was trying not to cry, then. Shit. Shit, shit, shit … this was not covered in officer's training. “Uh,” Aric shifted nervously. This was soooo not his area of expertise. “Is there ... can I ... crap.”

Caron laughed faintly as he scrubbed a hand over his head, then seemed to take pity on him. “Let's get back to base and changed. I'll … let you know if there's anything you can help with.”

~*~

They were three quarters of the way back to the barracks when Sadie stopped walking. Jorgan took another couple of steps before he realized she'd stopped, then doubled back. She fidgeted a little with one of the plates on her glove, then sighed.

“Jorgan, I know I'm not exactly your favorite person right now, but ... I … fuck.” Her whole body seemed to sort of crumple in on itself before she continued. “Look, my mom's in the hospital; she's been dying for a while now. Garza told me that she ...” One hand came up to pinch the bridge of her nose, and she made a noise like she was suppressing tears again. “I figure Mom should meet my first squadmate, at the very least. And I … and I don't think --”

“You don't want to go alone.” The words were out before he recognized what he was saying. She didn't meet his eyes as she nodded, and an inkling of her reality dawned on him. In less than a month's time, she'd been assigned to a new unit, had that unit defect on arrival to their post, been promoted, given command of her now empty unit and a surly older man who clearly resented her, and been tasked with not only rebuilding said unit, but hunting down the traitors who had hung her out to dry. And now she'd been given a lecture on the chain of command, and told her mother is dying in the same breath.

He'd heard of Jedi who'd cracked under less. And she hadn't so much as raised her voice when he'd gotten short with her.

“Give me ten minutes to get cleaned up.”

~*~

The halls of Coruscant Memorial Hospital were quiet; visiting hours were over for the most part, and the only families to be seen were those headed for obstetrics, the ICU, or the emergency center. No one questioned the two soldiers in Republic Army BDUs making their way through the warren-like facility, always heading toward hospice and palliative care.

The Nautolan at the nurses station recognized Sadie, though, and gave her a small, empathetic smile. All the nurses on the floor loved Mrs. Caron, and had heard endless tales of her daughter, the Special Forces marine, and how proud she was of her Sadie. Not one had looked forward to making the call to the General's office.

“How is she, Aliana?” Sadie asked, slowing for a moment as she walked by.

“I'm so sorry, Sadie,” the Nautolan – Aliana, apparently – responded, reaching across the counter to grasp the human woman's hand as they passed. Jorgan blinked a little at the familiarity of the nickname. Caron hadn't been exaggerating, then. Her mother had been here a good while. “She's … well, I'm glad you came tonight. She was so happy to hear you'd come back to Coruscant.”

Sadie just nodded, and kept moving. Jorgan offered the nurse a polite nod and followed his CO to the end of the hall, practically barking into her heels when she stopped in front of what he assumed was her mother's door. Anxiety and grief practically rolled off her in waves. Then, in the space of a heartbeat, her shoulders squared, and she started radiating a quiet confidence. Even the underlying scent of her skin changed from one of pain to the more familiar one of assuredness he'd come to associate with her.

If he didn't know any better, he'd start to doubt that she was actually human.

“Hi, Momma,” Sadie called softly, pushing open the door. In the bed, an older woman, maybe early sixties, if Aric had to guess, reclined against a pile of pillows. A glance between the Caron women confirmed that Sadako did indeed take after her mother. In her youth, the elder had clearly been as radiant as her daughter.

“There you are, my Sadie girl.” Mrs. Caron's voice was hoarse and frail; even to Aric's untrained eyes, it was clear she wasn't likely to last the night. “Who is that strapping lad you've got with you, mmmh?”

“Momma, this is Sergeant Aric Jorgan. My squad mate.” Sadako settled onto the bed, wrapping her mother's hand in hers. “Remember I told you I was assigned to Havoc Squad before I left for Ord Mantell?”

“Oh, is that where you went.” Mrs. Caron squinted, focusing on Aric. “And are you keeping my girl in line, Sergeant? She's more than a bit headstrong.”

“Momma,” Sadie said, quietly exasperated.

“Actually, ma'am, your daughter's the one giving the orders these days.” He peripherally registered Sadako relaxing a bit; he'd handled that as gracefully as possible. Yes, the demotion still chapped, but seeing now what she was going through, he had more sympathy for her. “She's an incredible woman, and a fine commanding officer. I'm honored to serve with her.”

Sadako ducked her head in embarrassment while her mother beamed up at him. “That she is, young man. That she is.”

~*~

It became clear to Aric in short order that Sadako came by her durasteel will honestly: her mother stubbornly hung on through all the various interruptions of Sadie being pulled aside to deal with final affairs and paperwork. His CO repeatedly told him he didn't have to stay, that this could take all night, and they had an op in the morning.

“What kind of friend would I be if I let you deal with this alone?” he finally asked her. “Tonight, you're not my CO, Caron, so even ordering me back to base won't work, op be damned.”

Sadie looked like she couldn't decide if she should cry, hug him, or just stand there and gape. When her brain kicked back into gear, she offered up a quiet smile of thanks before being pulled away yet again by a nurse.

“Sergeant.” He turned and went back to Mrs. Caron's side at the soft rasp of his rank, settling onto one of the rolling stools that littered the wing.

“Yes, ma'am?” He'd taken a liking to this woman already; watching her fade was about as painful as watching her daughter try to process it.

“I need you to do something for me, young man.” One frail hand lifted from the bed, pointing towards a drawer not far from his knee. “There's a holodisk in that drawer there. I need you to make sure Sadie gets it.”

He reached over and pulled the disk from the indicated drawer, tucking it into a pocket. “Of course, ma'am.”

“Good lad.” Mrs. Caron patted his hand, smiling a bit at finding fur under her fingers instead of skin. “She would find a Cathar man,” she murmured, sounding thoroughly unsurprised. Jorgan fidgeted a little uncomfortably. He didn't want to disillusion this woman on her death bed, but there was very definitely _not_ that dynamic to his relationship with Caron. “She's a good girl, Sergeant. She'll do right by you, whatever it takes.”

Aric looked over to the door, Sadako silhouetted in the light from the hall as she went over paperwork. The galaxy had shit all over this woman more in the last month than he'd had to deal with in his entire life, and she still managed to treat him with far greater respect than he really deserved. Do right by him, indeed.

“I know she will, ma'am. I certainly hope I can do the same by her.”

“I have no doubt you will.” She gave his hand one more pat, eyes crinkled in a smile. “You take good care of my Sadie, you hear? That's an order.”

“Yes, ma'am, I will.” He gave her fingers a squeeze; that was an order he'd be glad to follow. He could hear yet another staff member approaching Sadako, but the slightest shift in scent in the room told him he'd better interrupt. “Hang in there for just another few, Mrs. Caron,” he whispered, standing.

Sadie's head came up on hearing Jorgan's boots on the floor. Passing the datapad back to Aliana – who, bless her, had stayed well past the end of her shift to seem them through this – she met his eyes. Without a word being exchanged, she pushed past him, completely ignoring the lawyer-ish looking Chagrian approaching from the lift. Said Chagrian looked rather affronted (ugh, lawyers) and made to follow, but Jorgan stopped him with a shake of the head and a hand across the door.

Aliana inserted herself between the two men, assertively taking the Chagrian over to the nurses station to start him on what paperwork Sadie had managed to finish. Grateful, Jorgan returned to the Caron women.

Sadie was again sitting on the bed at her mother's side, hands wrapped around one of Mrs. Caron's. To his absolute astonishment, she wasn't so much as holding back tears; instead, despite the unholy hour of the morning and level of pain and stress she was under, Sadie was smiling softly and murmuring quiet words of assurance and encouragement to her mother.

He could hear every word the women were saying, but for the sake of his CO (okay, and his own emotional stability), he deliberately tried not to listen. Cathar hearing could be both a blessing and a curse.

Silence fell a moment later, Sadako's head bowed over her mother's so their foreheads touched. Aric squeezed her shoulder, offering what he could. It was a long few minutes before her head came up, eyes still impossibly dry.

“You'd better get going, Jorgan,” she said. Her voice was a little thick, but it cleared as the training took over. “Briefing starts sooner than I'd like, and you don't need to stick around for the paperwork. At least one of us should be on time.”

“You sure you'll be alright, sir?”

“No, but we still have a job to do.”

-fin-


End file.
